ONE of Liverpool's most successful champions called time on his fight career this week, protecting a record to rank him up alongside the very best the city has ever produced.

ONE of Liverpool's most successful champions called time on his fight career this week, protecting a record to rank him up alongside the very best the city has ever produced.

Colin Dunne (pictured) reigned as WBU lightweight king for five years, making no less than eight defences of his crown against often top draw opposition.

After winning the title with a strong decision over Hungarian Zoltan Kalocsai in November 1997, Dunne went on to defend against Ghanaian Emmanuel Clottey and then qual ity Frenchman Affif Djelti.

His biggest win was in February 1999 at Bethnal Green when "The Dynamo" outpointed classy Philip Holiday over 12 gruelling rounds.

The South African, who had defended the IBF world title eight times before succumbing to mighty talents of pound-for-pound US star Shane Mosley, then found Dunne boxing at the same level six months later.

Perhaps that was the time when Colin should have gone across the pond in a bid to secure a major crown, but instead he stayed in Britain and reaffirmed his domestic number one spot by defeating then European champ Billy Schwer.

Dunne looked tired in his next defence against Martin Jacobs, but stole the show away from top of the bill Naseem Hamed in May 2002 with the 10-round destruction of Wayne Rigby.

Colombian Esteban Morales followed suit, but when Dunne lost his crown to the new Scouser on the block, David Burke, in December last year the writing was on the wall.

A return with Burke, with Dunne boxing at home for the first time, would have been the ideal swansong but never materialised.

Never theless Dunne retires (38-3 26 KO's) as one of the city's very best.